The Afflicted: A Zombie Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

it easy, mate, you’ve had a bang on the head. Probably a few by the sound of it,” Joe said with genuine concern. He could see a massive bruise forming on Evan’s head. There were cuts and grazes all over him and his suit was littered with scorch marks and rips. Joe wasn’t sure how it still hung on his body.
    Evan felt in his pockets and remembered the lost phone. His wallet was gone too, but there was something in his shirt pocket, a small scrap of paper. It looked like a boarding pass but it was so badly ripped and charred that he couldn’t make anything out. There was a number: QF136 or 138? Seat 13A. That was all he could make out.
    “Doesn’t tell me much , does it?” The numbers meant nothing to him, only serving to confirm that he must have been on that plane. He crumpled it up and threw it on the floor.
    “Before the plane blew up, I had a phone in my hand. It’s gone now, probably smashed. There was a message from my son, Charlie, saying he was trapped. I had a photo on me of a boat too. I don’t remember anything before today, but when I saw that boat, I had a vague memory of him being on it. I feel like there’s some connection to that boat, but I can’t quite put my finger on it, you know?”
    Evan trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
    “Well , I hope your family wasn’t on that plane. In that suit, you look like you’re dressed for business, so maybe you were on a business trip? Look, they’re probably safe at home waiting for you. Karyn, Mrs Craven, I told her to stay at home, but she wouldn’t listen. Wanted to get away, leave the country, as if we could. There’s nowhere safe to go, this is happening all over the world. I don’t know where she thought we were going to go to.
    “ Her house is like a fortress too: security locks, gates, electric fencing, the works. Too late now. She’s lucky her kids are here. Shame about Pete, he was a top man.”
    Evan’s head was spinning and he was struggling to focus on Joe’s words. He stood up.
    “ What the hell is going on anyway? Where are the police? Why isn’t someone doing something about this? How long are those things going to be out there?” The constant bangs and scraping noises on the hangar walls were beginning to agitate him. “I can’t stay here. I have to find my family.”
    Evan started talking faster and his words slurred together. Spots appeared in front of his eyes and Joe only just managed to catch him as he swayed and collapsed, dropping the water bottle which rolled away into the shadows. Joe slid off his jacket and put it under Evan’s head, laying him down carefully. With Evan passed out, Joe walked over to the corner of the hangar, far away from his boss and sat, waiting for the nightmare to end.
    * * * *
    Evan lay in the dark, listening to his new companions sleeping, faint breathing and coughing breaking the silence. There was practically no sound coming from outside the hangar, just the wind wheezing and whistling around the building. He could hear no sound of life out there, alive or dead. There were no voices or footsteps. The banging on the walls from earlier had ceased. The shuffling and scratching had stopped. He couldn’t see much in the dark and wondered how long he’d been out. There was no way of telling the time and he felt into his pocket for his phone. Of course, he remembered, it was gone, lost in the explosion, probably smashed to pieces. So, he thought, I can remember what happened a few hours ago, but nothing of the last thirty years.
    He sat up and waited for the head-rush to fade away. The cold, concrete hangar floor was uncomfortable and Evan’s back hurt. Truth was , everything hurt. He stood up quietly. He could see Joe lying on a blanket nearby but he couldn’t see the others. He sneaked over to the wall and found the first aid kit. Reaching around inside the box, he fished out some more aspirin. He felt around gingerly for some water, but not finding any, swallowed them dry.
    Evan walked